Meeting the challenges facing wheat production: The strategic research agenda of the global wheat initiative

Authors: LANGRIDGE, PETER - Adelaide University; ALAUX, MICHAEL - Université Paris-Saclay; ALMEIDA, NUNO FELIPE - (NCE, CECR)networks Of Centres Of Exellence Of Canada, Centres Of Excellence For Commercilization A; AMMAR, KARIM - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); BAUM, MICHAEL - The International Center For Agricultural Research In The Dry Areas(ICARDA); BEKKAOUI, FAOUZI - National Institute Of Agriculture Research; BENTLEY, ALISON - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); BERES, BRIAN - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; BERGER, BETTINA - University Of Adelaide; BRAUN, HANS-JOACHIM - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); Brown-Guedira, Gina; BURT, CHRISTOPHER JAM - The Rouergue Auvergne Gevaudan Tarnais - Ragt Group; CACCAMO, MARIO JOSE - National Institute Of Agricultural Botany (NIAB); CATTIVELLI, LUIGI - National Council Of Agricultural Research (CRA); CHARMET, GILLES - National Research Institute For Agriculture, Food And Environment; CIVAN, PETER - National Research Institute For Agriculture, Food And Environment; CLOUTIER, SYLVIE - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; COHAN, JEAN-PIERRE - Arvalis Plant Institute; DEVAUX, PIERRE - Florimond Desprez - France; DOOHAN, FIONA - University College Dublin; DRECCER, FERNANDA - Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); FERRAHI, MOHA - National Institute Of Agriculture Research; GERMAN, SILVIA - National Agricultural Research Institute(INIA); GOODWIN, STEPHEN - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); GRIFFITHS, SIMON - John Innes Center; GUZMAN, CARLOS - Universidad De Cordoba; HANDA, HIROKAZU - Kyoto University; HAWKESFORD, MALCOLM - Rothamsted Research; HE, ZHONGHU - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; HUTTNER, ERIC - Australian Centre For International Agricultural Research; IKEDA, TATSUYA - National Agriculture And Food Research Organization (NARO), Agricultrual Research Center; KILIAN, BENJAMIN - Global Crop Diversity Trust; KING, IAN - University Of Nottingham; KING, JULIE - University Of Nottingham; KIRKEGAARD, JOHN - Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); LAGE, JACOB - Kws Saat Ag; LE GOUIS, JACQUES - National Research Institute For Agriculture, Food And Environment; MONDAL, SUCHISMITA - Montana State University; MULLINS, EWEN - Teagasc (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY); ORDON, FRANK - Julius Kuhn Institute; ORTIZ-MONASTERIO, JOSE - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); OZKAN, HAKAN - University Of Cukurova; OZTURK, IRFAN - Trakya University; PEREYRA, SILVIA - National Agricultural Research Institute(INIA); POZNIAK, CURTIS - University Of Saskatchewan; QUESNEVILLE, HADI - Inrae; QUINCKE, MARTIN - National Agricultural Research Institute(INIA); REBETZKE, GREG - Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); REIF, JOCHEN - Leibniz Institute Of Plant Genetics And Crop Plant Research; SAAVEDRA-BRAVO, TERESA - Julius Kuhn Institute; SCHURR, ULRICH - Julich Research Center; SHARMA, SHIVALI - Global Crop Diversity Trust; SINGH, SANJAY - Indian Agricultural Research Institute; SINGH, RAVI - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); SNAPE, JOHN - John Innes Center; TADESSE, WULETAW - International Center For Agricultural Research In The Dry Areas (ICARDA); TSUJIMOTO, HISASHI - Tottori University; TUBEROSA, ROBERTO - University Of Bologna; WILLIS, TIM - Biotechnology And Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); ZHANG, XUEYONG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2022
Publication Date: 11/7/2022
Citation: Langridge, P., Alaux, M., Almeida, N., Ammar, K., Baum, M., Bekkaoui, F., Bentley, A., Beres, B., Berger, B., Braun, H., Brown Guedira, G.L., Burt, C.E., Caccamo, M., Cattivelli, L., Charmet, G., Civan, P., Cloutier, S., Cohan, J., Devaux, P., Doohan, F., Dreccer, F., Ferrahi, M., German, S., Goodwin, S., Griffiths, S., Guzman, C., Handa, H., Hawkesford, M.J., He, Z., Huttner, E., Ikeda, T.M., Kilian, B., King, I.P., King, J., Kirkegaard, J.A., Lage, J., Le Gouis, J., Mondal, S., Mullins, E., Ordon, F., Ortiz-Monasterio, J.I., Ozkan, H., Ozturk, I., Pereyra, S.A., Pozniak, C.J., Quesneville, H., Quincke, M.C., Rebetzke, G.J., Reif, J.C., Saavedra-Bravo, T., Schurr, U., Sharma, S., Singh, S.K., Singh, R.P., Snape, J.W., Tadesse, W., Tsujimoto, H., Tuberosa, R., Willis, T.G., Zhang, X. 2022. Meeting the challenges facing wheat production: The strategic research agenda of the global wheat initiative . Agronomy Journal. 12(11):2767. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112767.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112767

Interpretive Summary: Wheat occupies a special role in global food security since, in addition to providing 20% of our carbohydrates and protein, almost 25% of the global production is traded internationally. The importance of wheat for food security was recognised by the Chief Agricultural Scientists of the G20 group of countries when they endorsed the establishment of the Wheat Initiative in 2011. The Wheat Initiative was tasked with supporting the wheat research community by facilitating collaboration, information and resource sharing and helping to build the capacity to address challenges facing production in an increasingly variable environment. Many countries invest in wheat research. Innovations in wheat breeding and agronomy have delivered enormous gains over the past few decades, with the average global yield increasing from just over 1 tonne per hectare in the early 1960s to around 3.5 tonnes in the past decade. These gains are threatened by climate change, the rapidly rising financial and environmental costs of fertilizer, and pesticides, combined with declines in water availability for irrigation in many regions. The international wheat research community has worked to identify major opportunities to help ensure that global wheat production can meet demand. The outcomes of these discussions are presented in this paper.

Technical Abstract: Wheat occupies a special role in global food security since, in addition to providing 20% of our carbohydrates and protein, almost 25% of the global production is traded internationally. The importance of wheat for food security was recognised by the Chief Agricultural Scientists of the G20 group of countries when they endorsed the establishment of the Wheat Initiative in 2011. The Wheat Initiative was tasked with supporting the wheat research community by facilitating collaboration, information and resource sharing and helping to build the capacity to address challenges facing production in an increasingly variable environment. Many countries invest in wheat research. Innovations in wheat breeding and agronomy have delivered enormous gains over the past few decades, with the average global yield increasing from just over 1 tonne per hectare in the early 1960s to around 3.5 tonnes in the past decade. These gains are threatened by climate change, the rapidly rising financial and environmental costs of fertilizer, and pesticides, combined with declines in water availability for irrigation in many regions. The international wheat research community has worked to identify major opportunities to help ensure that global wheat production can meet demand. The outcomes of these discussions are presented in this paper.